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"Since when was it flattery simply to tell the truth?" Aulus asked with a smile. "The leader of the whole scheme was a woman," he quoted, watching her. "Though yes, it is a bit depressing in the end - his call to establish his city, so at odds with her call to establish her own. Rome and Carthage, at war for centuries, perhaps because they were so similar in their character. And philosophy will have to wait," he added as the children came out, looking perhaps a little apprehensive, though maybe less so now that Aulus was not arrayed in the full majesty of a Senatorial toga, but was sitting in the very domestic surroundings of the garden.

"Morning," he said, smiling at them - Titus' earnestness must cover a similar shyness to that exhibited by his sister. "Come and have some breakfast - it is quite a walk to the Gardens of Sallust."

He looked up at the slaves waiting quietly in attendance and one of them went to fetch the breakfast tray that had already been prepared for them.

 

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Calpurnia and Titus glanced between them before slowly moving towards the table. Calpurnia clambered up on the bench next to her mother and Horatia tenderly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, whilst Titus hesitated before joining his father. Well - wasn't this just the picture of familial bliss! Or at least it was, until Calpurnia chimed in tentatively - as most five year olds do - with an unfiltered question; "Why was tata in your bed this morning mama?" Horatia felt the colour come to her cheeks but managed to keep her composure. Titus glanced confused between his parents. "Because," She started slowly as she carefully decanted some of the newly brought out food onto Calpurnia's plate for her, "That is what married people do, sweeting." 

The answer did not seem to satisfy Calpurnia but a warning look down by her mother silenced her as she began to pick at her food. 

Seeking to divert the conversation she glanced across at Aulus and her son - who sat silently, evidently trying to think of a conversation topic as well. "Titus, why don't you tell your tata about your studies? I'm sure he'd be interested to hear." She doubted it very much, and the current tutor they had - at Tiberius' instruction - Horatia thought was nigh on useless. Still - anything to fill the silence, and her son began to chatter away about the military history he had been learning - albeit a very watered down version, fit for children just starting their schooling.

 

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Aulus was not about to elaborate on where babies came from or what grown-up men and women did among themselves, and contented himself with pouring some wine for himself and Horatia, and a little for Titus, to which he added some water, diluting it until he thought it was a suitable strength and colour for a child. 

"This might be a bit strong for you, tell me if you want more water in it," he told his son, and settled back to hear his garbled explanation of Horatius at the bridge.

He pulled a sprig of grapes from the bunch laid out and set them on Horatia's plate before taking some for himself. "It helps people understand if you start at the beginning," he said mildly. "So, Rome is under attack..."

"An' the other army's trying to get in, only the Tiber's in the way, so they have to cross the bridge and Horatius says they can't..." Titus rattled off, all in one breath.

Aulus smiled at Horatia over their son's head; she shared a gens with the hero of the tale, although they were not the same branch of the family. "I'll have to show you where it happened, one day," he said, tearing off a piece of bread and dipping it into the dish of olive oil.

 

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Horatia accepted the cup of wine with a smile but placed it down almost immediately to brush hair from Calpurnia's face as she nibbled her food, legs swinging from the bench that was too tall for her. She listened to her sons story with a wry smile; being familiar with it although it had been a good few years since she'd read much of Livy; finding the work unnecessary long and a little dry. Still, at least she understood what was being discussed - she knew more than a handful of women who had no sense of literary matters outside of the domestic, nor much more of history. 

Titus beamed his gap tooth smile at his father and nodded his head, "Can we please? Mama and 'purnia won't want to go..." Horatia arched an eyebrow. She'd never been asked her opinion on the matter, but stayed quiet nonetheless. It would do Titus good to spend some time bonding with his father alone. She vividly remembered Aulus' awe and pride at holding his son in his arms for the first time, and the love that had been evident beneath. She hoped, more than anything, that it would return. 

She took a few grapes from the sprig that was deposited on her plate and ate them as Calpurnia fidgeted next to her. She glanced back to a household slave and said quietly; "Fetch her tablet." Which was retrieved in mere moments. Horatia took it and deposited it in front of her daughter who took the stylus within her fist and instantaneously began to draw into the wax. She'd come to learn her daughter disliked conversations she was not a part of, but the best way to stave off a tantrum was to give her something creative to do. At present, that was drawing little figures into the wax of a battered old tablet. When she grew older, it would be weaving or reading she suspected, much like her mother.

Taking a refreshing sip of the wine she smiled at Aulus - a genuine, pleasured smile at the serene scene that had come over the house.

 

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"Of course we can," Aulus said to his son. "Though today we're taking Mama and Calpurnia to the Gardens of Sallust, aren't we?" It would be nice to spend some time alone with his son, but he also wanted to spend time with his wife and daughter. Even merely looking at the children for a moment, he could see the resemblance that each had to their mother - something about Titus' eyes and mouth, and Calpurnia's nose and eyes. Titus had Aulus' own straight blond hair and there were coppery highlights in Calpurnia's as the sun caught it.

"Do you like drawing, Calpurnia?" he asked after a moment, watching the concentration on his daughter's face as she incised line after line into the wax, the stylus gripped tightly in her fist. He caught Horatia's eye and lifted his own wine-cup to her in a silent toast of gratitude and respect for everything she had done while he had been away from his family.

 

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Calpurnia blinked up at her father with big blue eyes and slowly nodded her head, as if startled out of some deep reverie. Horatia chuckled and leaned over her head to inspect her drawing. "A horse?" She queried tentatively. Drawings in wax were difficult to discern but after the incident where Calpurnia had taken ink to some of Horatia's book scrolls to draw, she was reticent about providing ink and scraps of papyrus. The mess had taken a few days to clear. Perhaps some charcoal and scraps would be better, certainly less risk to those precious books she held. 

Calpurnia nodded at her mama and then grinned at Aulus, holding up the tablet; "Thi' one is called 'neas." Horatia arched a brow, "Aeneas, not 'neas." She'd been giving her children a precis of some of the classics. How funny that Calpurnia had been drawn to the Aeneid just like her father.

Content that the conversation had turned to her, her daughter continued to chatter as she took back to drawing; "I like drawing an' playing with Titus an' the flowers and-an' when Mama is busy I like Grandtata." Horatia's lips curled wryly at the obvious lack of mention to Aurelia. Calpurnia, she thought, found her a tad stuffy whereas Tiberius seemed to indulge and dote on his only grandchildren and Calpurnia adored that. Taking a sip of her wine she glanced up to Aulus as Titus engaged Calpurnia in questioning her about Aeneas the horse and his particulars. "I think you'll have a girl with an artists mind when she's older." She tenderly stroked Calpurnia's bright blonde hair from her face, "Who'd have thought when you left all those years ago you'd return to a son old enough to play with toy swords and...a daughter at all." She chuckled and shook her head. She'd been overwhelmed when, not a month or two after Aulus' departure she had realised she had been pregnant. That had been a difficult letter to write.

 

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Aulus squinted solemnly at the tablet Calpurnia held up for his inspection. There were a mass of inscribed lines in the wax and it was possible to discern something that could be a horse, although it looked as though this one might have five or six legs, unless some of those lines were left over from previous attempts. Something of the childish naivete reminded him of the white horse he'd seen carved into the hillside in Britannia on several occasions during marches and forays there.

A shield for Titus - and perhaps some sort of drawing material for Calpurnia? He wanted to buy something for her - it was not every day that a father returned home to his children, after all. He listened to his daughter's chatter with regular nods and murmurs of "Mmhmm" and "I see" (even though he did not necessarily see), and could not help the pride that he felt in them, especially in Titus' interactions with his sister.

"I don't think I mind at all if I do," he said quietly. There were few enough ways that their society allowed girls (and women) to express themselves - why should Calpurnia not be allowed to be artistic if she chose, in the home at least? He might feel differently later, but he did not really want to stifle his daughter - their society would do that, eventually - probably. Home should always be a safe place for her, and he would be proud of her no matter what.

"I could never have imagined all this," he added. The sun glinted off the wide cuff he had on his wrist as he rested his wine-cup on his knee  and watched his small family with a contented pride he had never expected to feel.

 

(OOC - The Uffington White Horse: https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/images/1431736113455-whh-yq3w2924-nt-commission-air.jpg )

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She smiled to herself. Aulus was still the good man she married. She was under no presumption that the limits imposed on her and her daughters gender meant that as she grew her artistic endeavours would have to be tailored towards the appropriate; weaving most likely, but that he was willing to indulge it now warmed her heart. As the children chattered away she arched a brow and glanced at him; "I remember when we had just married and I found out I was with child," They had only been married a little over four or five months and still living separately in Greece during Aulus' service there, "I had visions of a scene like this." She gestured to the contented family meal as the children chattered and picked at their food and Aulus and she reclined with wine. She added quietly, but with no barb in her voice; "It felt so far away, so distant, when you were gone." The company of Aurelia and Tiberius was no substitute for a marriage, after all.

She picked a few more grapes off the sprig and ate them, relaxing content in the sunshine. So much had happened, so much had changed that there was still so much unsaid between them. Yet she didn't wish to break the warmth she was feeling now by discussing his service and absence, her mothers violent demise or her own fleeing to Baiae. She was content to let the past drift by her like water in the stream.

Finally speaking again as her children's conversations died down, she arched a brow at each of them in turn; "Have you got everything you need for the gardens - as your Tata said, it's far away and we can't come back here for things you've forgotten." That prompted Calpurnia to clamber down from the table and hesitate, before asking; "Can I get my stones?" She smiled to herself and nodded - Aulus had seem content to let her run the domestic yesterday - "Only a few." Glancing back at Aulus and Titus who still sat nervously next to his father she laughed a little, "She found some gem stones down by the Tiber - she likes to bring them with her." She said by way of explanation. They were little round pebbles some with pretty, natural inlays of shinier stone which Calpurnia adored in the way that children are fascinated by the mundane.

 

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Aulus nodded and looked at Titus. "You should fetch your sword - a soldier should never go without his sword, after all," he said, grateful that Horatia had mentioned it yesterday.

Titus looked across to his mother before wriggling off his seat and following his sister.

"They are very fine children, a credit to their mother," Aulus said, finishing the last of his grapes. "I hope they won't be nervous of me for too long, though - it's not as though I expected them to like me right away, but I'm hardly a tyrant. I suppose it will take some getting used to, for all of us."

It would be unusual for Horatia to have sole charge of her children, without having slaves for at least some of the tasks that came with caring for children. His wife was a patrician, after all, and had married into a patrician family. He couldn't help the way his eyes lingered on her; he hadn't seen her for five years and found himself wanting to make up for all the years he hadn't seen her.

He shifted his gaze, not wishing to make her uncomfortable, and drained his winecup. "Who are the slaves who look after them?"

 

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Titus beamed and did as he was bidden, scampering off to fetch his sword (and Horatia suspected, examine his sister's pebble collection for good measure). She offered a gentle smile and shrugged; "I don't mean to sound cruel but...your father has been their father figure for their whole lives Aulus," The gentleness of her voice masked the seriousness of her message, "It will take time to relearn. If you want my opinion," And whether he would or wouldn't was a separate matter but she tried her luck, "I would speak with your father and encourage him to spend a little time away from them. Children's minds are malleable and if they do not see him, their attachment will lessen." Or at least she hoped it would. Tiberius - even in his advancing age and periodic stoicism - had doted on the children and she knew well they adored him in return. For Aulus to find a place in his family after so long apart, he would need to intervene in that bonding.

At his question, she arched a brow and leaned to rest her jaw on her palm - propped up on the table. The house had a small army of slaves, Aulus' parents not scrimping where others might, and she'd had plenty of help with the children. 

"Avita is Calpurnia's nurse, she's been with her for two years, a rosy cheeked girl born verna although I think she mentioned some Greek ancestry." Before that the wet nurse they had hired had doubled as a general attendant, but she had been let go once the girl was weaned. "And Titus spends a lot of time with a household slave from Germania named Scapha. He's been teaching him about the sword and things when he's not with his tutor." She frowned a little, intrigued; "May I ask why the interest?" The slaves were doing an admirable job - Horatia had no hesitation in letting those go and selling those who weren't fit to serve in a house as ancient and noble as Tiberius'. 

 

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Aulus sighed, tipping his head up to see the vine leaves dancing against the sky as they twined around the trellis above him. "I know. At least they have had him. And you are probably right, except that he knows how to be a father and I... do not. But he should be their grandfather, which is a different thing altogether. Grandfathers can indulge their grandchildren where fathers, well..." His own father had indulged him, when he was a boy, but had also examined him on his education and been altogether a stricter sort of figure to the boy Aulus than his grandfather had been. He straightened up again. "I daresay Father will appreciate it, though. He is not so young as he was and cannot possibly do all the sort of things that young children will want to do."

He shrugged. "Because I should like to know who has the care of the children, so I know who they mean when they chatter about this slave or that - and I do not expect yo to be with them the whole day long."

If Horatia was pleased with the slaves tasked with seeing to her children's needs, then everything was fine. He would not interrupt the routine needlessly; he did not have such a low opinion of himself that he needed to throw his weight around for no reason.

"It surely cannot be for a while yet, but Titus must have some schooling with others of his age at some point. Would this Scapha make a good pedagogus for him, do you think?"

 

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Horatia did not audibly disagree with him, but quirked an eyebrow. She knew that Tiberius would likely guffaw at the suggestion he spent less time with the children, but that was not a battle she needed to have when her father in law would do it on her behalf, and she had no desire to sour the morning with Aulus.

She likewise did not react to his tone, even if inside she thought; I was only asking. Instead she offered a light smile and poured him some more wine, noticing his cup was empty. "I'm sorry," She said softly, "And you mustn't worry. It is not like I have a great deal else to do besides look after them, Aulus," She countered lightly, "Your mother runs the household, after all." She made a point not to sound argumentative but besides her hobbies in reading and caring for the children, she spent a great deal of her time with her own family where she felt she could be of more use. Aurelia indulged her by letting her help when needed, but it was no substitute for having the full schedule of a woman who ran her own household. She suspected, or hoped, that would change now Aulus was back and they could start to carve out a life separate from her in-laws. 

She arched a brow and considered the question before removing her jaw from her palm and folding her arms across her waist. "No, he's less educated than Titus himself is, I should imagine." She smiled a little, "Or at least in the core subjects. He's plenty good enough at swinging a toy wooden sword around but that is about it." Although the friendly face of Scapha and his easy, handsome smile brightened her day, as it did her children's. Sipping her wine - still on her first cup - she considered him a moment and then shrugged lightly; "Perhaps that is something you can do for him, to win his trust. Find him somebody suitable?" 

 

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"No, I..." He sought her eyes out. "I am sorry. Of course you don't have anything else to do, living in my parents' house. I had not meant to suggest..." He sighed. "Well, I have been back less than a full day - I should be grateful I did not put my foot in my mouth earlier! But anyway, if the children can e left with the slaves for any length of time, that is time that you and I can be together without you needing to worry. Because as you say, I have been very far away for far too long and should like to spend time with you, just you, sometimes."

He should really think about finding a house for himself, so that Horatia could set up and run her own household without feeling that everything she did was criticised by her mother-in-law (he could not think that she did not feel that, on occasion, whatever the actual truth of the matter). Preferably a house nearby, so that the children could still see their grandparents without too much difficulty.

"There is time to find him somebody, I think. He's a child yet, after all - and I should like to get to know my son before I disrupt his life more than my mere arrival will have."

He could hear the children's voices and light running footsteps.

"I think we should be ready to leave on our adventure soon," he said, smiling at Horatia as the children burst back into the garden, sending a blackbird flying for safety.

 

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She shrugged lightly with a soft smile; "It's fine - apology accepted." Because what was he supposed to know about the intricacies of a woman's role and household management? Even if he had been here for the almost six years he had actually been absent, she would still not have expected him to know the details of her days or her tasks. She had been brought up with, and clearly understood, the separation between men and women although admittedly she found it a little harder to stomach when faced with her own children - knowing they'd grow up in such rigid structures. 

She glanced over her shoulder as two grinning faces appeared; Titus with his sword firmly in his belt and Calpurnia clutching a little silk bag which contained her favourite pebbles. Nodding at Aulus she stood and gathered her children with an arm across each of their shoulders; speaking quietly. "This is your Tata's first time out in the city since he has been back," She saw her son's eyes wandering to his father, "Titus," That prompted him to divert his gaze back to his mother and Horatia crouched to be at their height; "You must behave today - and listen to your Tata, and me. Do you understand?" There were two sombre, uneasy nods and satisfied, Horatia stood up again to her full height. She suspected their nervousness around Aulus would mean they were subdued anyway, but it didn't hurt to reinforce that message. 

Spinning the fine, sentimental gold bangle around her wrist she glanced back at Aulus. "Calpurnia and I will take the litter if you'd rather walk with Titus?" Getting all four of them in might be a squeeze, and break the poor litter bearer's backs. 

 

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"I am quite capable of walking, you and Calpurnia need not worry I will insist on squeezing into the litter with you and crushing your gowns," Aulus said with a quick grin. He made sure that he had his money pouch secure (and out of sight, he was no fool) and waited as Horatia and Calpurnia made themselves comfortable in the litter.

"You know what I think..." he said to Titus, sizing his son up for a moment. "I think you will see better from higher up." He could sacrifice a little dignitas and carry his own son on his shoulders, and it would save Titus from having to try to keep up - the crowds in the Forum were bound to be as stifling as ever, even for people merely passing on their way elsewhere.

"Just don't hit me with the sword," he said, settling his son on his shoulders. "I think you should have a proper scabbard for that, too." If Titus could bear to let it go long enough for even Felix (or someone) to measure it for one - and if one of the slaves at home could make one, it would save on having to wait for one from some leather-worker somewhere.

Rome was just as busy as he remembered it, though it was indefinably home, even after so many years away. All the scents, sights and sounds were as he remembered them, more or less.

 

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Horatia smiled to herself at the sight of her husband and her son atop his shoulders when she drew back the curtains of the litter. Titus had engaged with his father in a way she had hoped he would, although Calpurnia seemed perfectly oblivious to Aulus and the change that was happening in all of their lives. They made slow but steady progress through the city and on more than one occasion Horatia had to quickly take hold of her daughter's arm or wrist to prevent her from peering out of the litter and colliding head on with foot passengers.

When they finally drew to a stop with a juddering halt, Horatia peered out. The gardens stretched before them and she took a deep breath, relishing the scents of the flowers and the fresh air. Rome could get unbearably hot and stifling, even in winter, and the scents of the city were not always particularly pleasant. 

She held out her hand to be helped from the litter and then turned around to help out Calpurnia - forgetting for an instant that Aulus was with her. When her daughter was safely by her side, she finally turned to Aulus and blinked. "I hope you haven't ruined your back." She offered lightly and glanced up to Titus, "Do you think it's time to get down so we can show your Tata our favourite places in the garden?" Titus nodded and with Aulus' assistance, scrambled down from his perch. Horatia - for her part - lifted her palla to conceal her hair. For a woman who was only twenty-five she suddenly felt slightly ancient as she glanced at her two growing children, her husband in his mid-thirties and her somewhat matronly clothes. She contrasted it to the girls who swarmed the gardens - slaves, plebs and senatore in their thin tunica's and unkempt braids. Horatia squashed the thought of inadequacy as best she could and offered a wan smile to Aulus before turning to speak to Titus; "You lead the way, my love." 

 

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Aulus set his son down as a slave helped his wife from the litter. "I have carried heavier than Titus for further," he said. "Military duties require that - even for such privileged people as Tribunes, despite not being career soldiers in the way that the Centurions and others are."

He straightened his pallium and held out his arm to his wife, noting her uncertain smile, though he could not tell the reason for it. "You are certainly the brightest flower here," he told her quietly, glancing at the other girls, none of whom could hold a candle to Horatia. Their plain clothes and plain looks were as dull as a moth's beside the butterfly beauty of his wife.

"Mind you do not run too far ahead of us," he said to Titus. "Mama does not want to run, after all, and we need to see where you are taking us." He offered his free hand to his daughter, who probably preferred to hold Horatia's hand. It would take father and daughter a while to get to know one another, but she was young enough that hopefully she would not remember his absence when she was older.

The slaves would keep up however they could, of course. Aulus paid them little heed as he followed his son with his wife and daughter.

 

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Horatia only smiled wryly to herself. She'd done plenty of running with Titus - albeit it had been when he was a baby in her arms and it had been in wholly less pleasurable circumstances on the road to Baiae, but now she knew if she tried anything other than a fast walk in her stola and palla she could well fall flat on her face. She glanced at Calpurnia with an urging look on her face and the little girl reached up a small hand to hold her fathers, her other firmly gripping the little bag of pebbles she took everywhere. 

She wound an arm around Aulus', enjoying the sensation and secretly pleased at the curious but admirable glances this perfect little Roman family was receiving. A tall, handsome man with his young pretty wife; both dressed impeccably with two sweet, healthy but respectful children; the very model of what a family should look like. Of course, passers-by couldn't see the slight awkwardness that still lingered amongst the family as they tried to reconnect. 

They followed Titus at a slow walk as he bounded away, stopped to wait for them to catch up, and then bounded off again. Feeling more relaxed in the sunshine and content her children were fine without her attention for a moment, she glanced up at Aulus and ventured; "I was thinking this morning; it might be nice to throw a dinner for your return, for those of your friends and colleagues that are still in Rome." The added benefit of him needing to be seen and reconnect if he was going to succeed in a nomination for a praetorship, went unsaid but an astute man would see her meaning, "Thoughts?" 

 

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"I think that is an excellent idea," Aulus said. "Though frankly I may struggle to think who is in Rome at the moment! Your brother will be invited if he is around, of course." It would almost be easier to list who was not in Rome at the present moment - Longinus and Titus Sulpicius were elsewhere, of course. He had no idea whether Titus Flavius was in Rome, though he could make a shrewd guess that Octavius Flavius was. "I have no idea whether Vestal are permitted to join family dinners for their recently returned brothers, but it would be nice to have Calpurnia there - your aunt Calpurnia Praetextata," he said, looking down at his daughter and rolling his eyes inwardly at the lack of creativity when it came to female naming conventions.

It was nice to walk in the spring sunshine with his family - he noted more than one envious or admiring look thrown in their direction, but ignored them, as befit a patrician in the presence of those of lesser rank.

Re-establishing his connections with those in power would only serve to benefit him, and remind them of his loyalty, which could not hurt.

"I will have to pay my respects to Quintus Augustus too, of course," he added, thinking aloud.

 

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Horatia's jaw twitched minutely. She had not expected Aulus to remember the intricacies of her family - he had only met Publius and her father very briefly, but she had hoped he would have remembered. Gently, she retorted; "Which brother?" With an arched eyebrow before shaking her head, irritated at her own pettiness, "I have two - Publius and Lucius, and my sister Livia." 

Calpurnia, however, interrupted to diffuse the minute increase in tension with a beaming smile up at her father; "I-I met Aunt 'Purnia!" And Horatia grinned, nodding down at her daughter; "You did." Before glancing sideways to Aulus, "I've taken the children a few times to meet their aunt - when her duties allow it, and introduce myself. It went better than when I met your parents, I can confidently say." She smiled wryly and dipped her head back down to focus on her son as they meandered slowly through the gardens.

She smiled and nodded her head at his plan to speak to Augustus. She had never met the man - why would she have reason to? - and had only seen him from afar at his Triumph and at the very few invitations she received by way of friends and her father - to attend Imperial events. Nonetheless, she knew there was little she could add by way of her presence if Aulus wished to meet the man he had served under and so stayed quiet - watching with humour in her eyes as Titus dramatically sighed, evidently frustrated by the slow pace of her parents. Watching his route, she knew exactly where he was leading them but decided not to ruin the 'surprise' for her husband or daughter.

 

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"Which brother?  Both of them, if they are in Rome to come to a dinner party - and Livia, too," Aulus replied. "Did you?" he said to his daughter. "She has a very important job - did she tell you about it, at all?"

He felt a pang, that he could not have introduced his own children to their aunt, and watched her with them, but it was momentary and served to reaffirm that whatever his next posting outside of Rome, he would petition Caesar for his appointment to be one where his family could accompany him; he had missed too much of their short lives already and did not want to miss any more. He wondered what Calpurnia Praetextata would have made of her namesake, and what his daughter would have made of her aunt, with the Vestals' distinctive headdress and garb.

"I don't think young children are good at being patient, shall we lengthen our stride a little? I can carry Calpurnia, if it proves hard for her to keep up," he said quietly to Horatia, smiling in Titus' direction.

 

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Horatia said nothing, still irked by her husbands flippancy, but tried to arrange her features into neutrality. Calpurnia, again, eased her irritation with a little grin, "Y-yes she did! She said I could be Vestal!" Horatia chuckled and shook her head, "We have a few years before we'd think about that sweetheart and it is not something to take lightly." In truth, despite the honour of being inducted into the ranks of Vestals, the thought made Horatia nauseous. She had almost given her life to her daughter during birth, and the thought of her being sequestered in the temple for a significant portion of her life made her heart ache. She hadn't been through so much with her, just to have her taken away.

Glancing at Aulus and then to Titus she nodded silently and lengthened her stride, using her spare hand to gather the fabric of her stola and pulling it away from her legs so it was easier to walk. 

She felt tense, all of a sudden. Perhaps it was Aulus' forgetfulness at her family or the chatter of her daughter, or the feeling of...faking something, faking this that was uncomfortable. She was not the happy young wife, delighted to have her husband back as she presented. The shift in the direction of her life was disquieting. Still, she tried not to let Aulus see it and still dutifully entwined her arm in his, walking by his side. She only said, quietly, respectfully; "I will draw up a list of those in Rome that could attend and leave it on your desk." 

She was pleased that Titus - however - was warming to his father as he suddenly came to a stop, beaming his gap-toothed smile. "It's round the corner Tata...!" He glanced to Calpurnia, evidently a little jealous that his sister could hold his fathers hand and jerked his head; "Can I show Tata, Mama?" Horatia nodded and unlinked her arm from Aulus', reaching out to take Calpurnia's hand. She followed behind her boys to Titus' surprise spot. It was hardly a kept secret, but she could see why her son liked this spot; there was a beautiful fountain with a scene etched on the outside of sea nymphs and dolphins, and a painted interior of similar. The water was clear but the cultivated grass around the fountain was largely devoid of people - few walked this far into the gardens. 

"What d-do you think Tata?" Titus beamed up.

 

TAG: @Sharpie

 

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"I would rather discuss it and come to a mutual decision, than merely agree with your ideas - or veto them," Aulus said quietly. A marriage didn't have two equal partners, of course, but he was not going to ride rough-shod over anything she did, and wanted her to know that he respected her. Wherever his next posting took him, she would be running the household - he could not do that and do his duties (probably running a province, if his cursus honorum went according to plan and precedent).

They were so new to all of this that she probably expected him to dictate every decision, and yet she had made every decision for herself and the children for the past five years.

He took his son's hand, grateful that his children seemed to be coming out of their shyness a little, and was towed to a quiet spot with a fountain, shielded from view.

"Oh, how delightful," he exclaimed. He had had no notion such a place existed - it had been many years since he had last visited the Gardens of Sallust, after all, but even when he had been in Rome, he had not really explored the gardens. "I think it's lovely, Titus," he said, looking down at his son, who had let go of his hand and was standing, looking slightly nervous, though that look dissolved into a beaming smile at his father's words.

"Where shall we sit, do you think?" he asked. The grass looked soft, and there was a marble bench nearby - though he would sit wherever the others did, and did not really expect the children to want to sit on the bench. This was a place made for being at ease, after all, and Aulus could shed his dignitas in private and come down to his children's level, at least for a little while.

 

@Sara

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"As you wish." She offered a light smile, slightly buoyed by his reaction but didn't go farther and say anymore than that. She knew full well that his decision was final - even if she was ultimately under her father's authority and not her husband's, within their marriage she was still duty bound to his plans and will. Even if he allowed her opinions, ultimately it would still be a significant change to her life for the last five years. Perhaps that was the root cause of this feeling of discomfort? Their new dynamic would take time to bed in.

Titus looked absolutely delighted by his fathers reaction and then glanced around. There was a couple - a little way off - equites or well-dressed plebs Horatia guessed - but they were too enamoured with one another to pay the family much heed. Without much ceremony, he trotted off to a secluded spot on the grass and plopped himself down. Calpurnia wriggled free of her mother's hand and bounded after her brother, taking a seat on the grass. Horatia glanced at Aulus and then moved herself. She dropped the palla from her hair to spread out enough to sit on - the stola she was wearing might have been plain but it was expensive and she knew the slaves would mutter if she got grass-stains on it. Calpurnia moved quickly to sit on her mother's lap and Horatia winced a little at her weight but shifted her to a more comfortable position.

Titus fiddled with the hilt of his wooden sword, obviously itching to get it out, but not wishing to pre-empt his father. Quietly, he asked; "D-did you have gardens like this in B-Britannia, Tata?" 

 

TAG: @Sharpie

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Aulus smiled and stretched before joining the others on the ground; it was a warm day - warmer in Italia than in Britannia, of course - and the grass was soft. He didn't really care what the slaves would say if he returned with grass-stains on his clothes. He didn't even particularly care what anyone else would think if they noticed he had grass-stains, either.

"No, not like this - it is a very wild country indeed, and the people there live in villages of round houses, some of the made of stone but most made from dried mud, and with roofs made from straw - nothing like our houses here, at all. But there are people there who want to have towns like we do, with temples and forums and gardens, so they are beginning to build them, in the south at the moment. It will all look very different when you are my age, I'm sure, and maybe you'll see for yourself one day."

He noticed Titus fiddling with his sword. "May I see it? It looks a very good sword - a proper gladius, in fact."

Titus pulled it out and handed it over, a little hesitantly. Aulus took it, holding it as he would his own sword, though it was much smaller and much lighter, being made for a child and not someone of Aulus' size. "Thank you," he said, offering it back, hilt first. "Do you think I could borrow it, maybe when you are doing your school-work, so that I can get it measured for a scabbard? It would be much easier to carry that way, after all."

 

@Sara

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